Buddie: Partners in Fire

Chapter 85

Scene: Outside Maddie’s House

Buck parked in front of Maddie’s house, gripping the steering wheel tightly. He knew it was early, and part of him felt guilty for even thinking about waking her up. Still, the weight of everything was too much for him to bear alone.

He pulled out his phone and sent a quick text.

Buck: "You awake?"

It wasn’t even a minute before Maddie responded.

Maddie: "Yeah, Chim left early for his shift. What’s up?"

Buck: "Can I come in?"

Maddie: "Of course. You know, the door’s always open for you."

Scene: Maddie’s House, Living Room

Maddie opened the door just as Buck reached it, his body slumped, eyes rimmed red from exhaustion, both physical and emotional. The moment their eyes met, Buck fell into her arms without a word, his weight heavy against her, as though the emotional burden he’d been carrying for so long had finally become too much to bear. Maddie didn’t hesitate—she wrapped her arms tightly around him, instinctively understanding what her brother needed at that moment.

There was a deep, familiar ache in Maddie’s chest as she held him, the kind of ache that only comes from seeing someone you love in pain. She could feel the tension in his muscles, the barely contained tremors in his body as he struggled to hold himself together. His breathing was uneven, shallow, and his hands gripped the back of her sweater as if he were afraid to let go, afraid that if he did, he might just fall apart completely.

Maddie (softly): "Shh... it’s okay. I’m here."

Buck's chest heaved as he buried his face deeper into her shoulder, and Maddie felt his breath shudder against her. He hadn’t realized just how desperately he needed comfort until this moment—until he was wrapped in his sister’s arms, feeling the familiar, unwavering support of someone who had been by his side his entire life. With Maddie, he didn’t have to be the strong one. He didn’t have to be the person who held everyone else together. He could simply... fall, simply be her little brother.

And for the first time in what felt like forever, Buck allowed himself to do just that.

The tears came slowly at first, silent and suppressed, but Maddie could feel the tremors of his sobs as they broke free. She rubbed gentle circles on his back, her touch soothing and rhythmic, not saying anything more because she knew that words weren’t what he needed right now. What he needed was this—this quiet, unspoken connection between them, where nothing had to be explained because everything was already understood.

Buck’s grip tightened on her, and Maddie’s heart ached for him. She could only imagine the weight he was carrying—the constant fear, the pressure of being the one Eddie leaned on, the unrelenting worry that something would go wrong and he wouldn’t be able to fix it. But Maddie knew her brother. She knew how much he loved Eddie, how deeply he cared for Christopher. And she knew that he would never stop fighting for them, no matter how tired, no matter how broken he felt inside.

Maddie (whispering): "Everything’s going to be okay. I promise."

They stayed like that for what felt like forever, Maddie continuing to hold him as he slowly released everything he had been bottling up. She didn’t rush him, didn’t ask him to speak or explain. She simply let him feel what he needed to feel, providing the steady, unwavering presence he so desperately needed.

When Buck finally pulled back, his eyes were swollen, his cheeks streaked with tears, but there was a hint of something softer in his expression—a release, perhaps, of some of the pent-up emotions that had been weighing him down. He wiped at his face with the back of his hand, looking almost embarrassed by the vulnerability he had shown, but Maddie only gave him a soft, reassuring smile.